Love and Marriage
by ArtemisAmalthea
Summary: AU: In a world where Sephiroth never returned, and President Shinra's power remains absolute, Yuffie has been captured by the enemy and given an ultimatum: Face public execution for conspiring with terrorists or marry the President's son, Rufus. (Is this seriously what a girl has to go through just to steal some materia? She never even liked AVALANCHE.)
1. Prologue

Prologue

As the sun reached the horizon, it turned a deep shade of yellow, matching the varying shades of orange painting the skyline. Godo stood on his balcony at the highest level of the Pagoda, enjoying the view, and sipping a cup of tea. Leafy green trees stretched far out of town, and beyond them he could see a sliver of ocean.

This was the most peaceful parts of his days. As long as the sky was clear, he would be found in the spot he was in now, just watching.

The peace was broken by a voice behind him.

"My lord?"

"Yes, Gorky?"

"A courier has come with a package for you."

Godo looked over his shoulder at him for a moment, and sighed. He took a longing glance at the view, before turning and heading inside. "Fine, fine. Send them up."

After a few minutes of waiting inside, Godo saw a pale, eastern lad who couldn't have been more than seventeen jogging up the last of the steps. In his hand, he clutched a manila envelope. Through quiet pants, he said, "From President Shinra, sir." The young courier handed it over, and made a quick exit.

His curiosity heightened, he unwrapped the string from the button closure on the envelope as he moved toward his desk. He set his tea down, and shook the folder a bit; several photos spilled out. Before he could get a good look at them, his desk phone rang shrilly, and he answered it quickly in a formal Wutaian greeting.

He got a response in the harsh dialect of the far eastern continent. "Goddamn it, man, speak Midgardian!"

Godo's jaw clamped shut. It had been several months since he'd last spoken to the President. He always seemed to get just enough time to clear his mind of the man, before President Shinra would call on him again. "My apologies. Good evening, sir. Or is it morning there?"

"Now is not the time for small talk. I trust you received the photos?"

Godo spread the photos out on his desk, to get a better look. "Yes, the boy just left." It was a series of photos of his daughter, with an interesting group of people. She was hunched over a lion creature's flaming tail, seemingly trying to keep warm. In the last few, she turned to look directly at the lens, showing the photographer her middle finger in the final image. Godo frowned. "What is this?"

"Those are photos of a known anti-Shinra terrorist group. I'm sure you heard about the tragedy that befell Sector 7."

"I did."

"They are the ones responsible."

"You're not suggesting that Yuffie was involved!" Godo ran a hand down his face. How Yuffie was stupid enough to get mixed up with a group like that was beyond him.

"Oh no, of course not," said the President, "Yuffie fell in with these criminals after they escaped Midgar, but even still, the idea that your daughter may be aiding them-"

"I doubt Yuffie would be capable of aiding anyone. It's a surprise they haven't abandoned her somewhere already."

"All the same," the President continued. "You can imagine how troubled I was to learn that the heir to the Kisuragi dynasty has fallen in with that lot. I can only assume your daughter shares their sentiments regarding my company."

"My daughter is a simpleton and a thief. She's probably trying to swindle them. Likely unsuccessfully. As my daughter, she is my concern. Not yours."

"Unfortunately, those terrorists _are_ my concern."

"If you want to hurt the terrorists, the best thing to do would be to leave Yuffie with them. No doubt she'll do nothing but cause them grief."

"This is no time for jokes, man!" said the President. "You could imagine how terrible I would feel if something were to happen to your poor little Yiffie."

Godo struggled to keep the sarcasm from his voice. "I'm sure."

"Something must be done about your daughter. For all I know she could be using her position as princess to rally the people of Wutai to AVALANCHE'S cause. We do not want a rebellion on our hands, do we now?"

For the first time in years, Godo was feeling protective of his daughter. Regardless of how formal their relationship had become over the years, she was still his family, the only family that he had left. "Mr. President, _please_. My daughter has nothing to do with whatever schemes AVALANCHE may be hatching."

"You've no need to worry. I would never try to hurt your daughter. As a father myself I know that occasionally teenagers can make poor choices..."

Godo was relieved, but did not relax just yet. "You obviously have an idea of how you want this to be handled."

"Quite right, my good man. As I mentioned I am a father and I know that idle youths can turn their boredom towards less than productive ends. You know, my son is nearly twenty-five-years-old and I think it's time he started a family of his own."

Fortunately, the President was not there to witness the look of total bewilderment that crossed the leader of Wutai's face. "You're... not... you couldn't possibly be suggesting..."

"Why not? Are you saying your daughter is too good for my son?"

Of course she was. "Of course not!"

"Then what's the problem?"

"To be quite frank, I would worry for your son's safety." Godo wouldn't wish his daughter on anyone, including his worst enemy. He took a sip of his tea.

"Oh, Rufus is a big boy. He can handle himself. Besides, aren't Wutain women trained to be good obedient wives, pouring tea and all that." Godo began to choke, tea spewing from his mouth and spattering all over his desk. The President ignored the coughing fit and continued to speak. "Threaten her with dishonor or something. Honestly Godo, I thought you'd be more excited. Can't you picture it? Your grandchildren, heirs to Shinra."

Godo responded with silence, distracted by keeping his lunch down.

Ignoring the lack of response, the President went on. "We'll join our lands forever, this marriage will ensure a lasting peace, and we both want that."

As much as he hated to say it, it did make sense, when put like that. "I... don't know what to say."

"You could start by thanking me for the honor I'm giving Yippie... Yappie... your girl. She needs to learn responsibility, and what better way than serving her people as the mother of their bright future?"

Godo had always both hated and admired President Shinra's ability to make even the worst plan sound like it had value. He was disturbed to find himself actually considering the possibility. Something held him back, though. He and his daughter had never particularly gotten along, but that didn't mean he had to hand her off to a younger version of the man they mutually detested. "I've never even met your son. I'd imagine he's taken after you?"

The President sighed impatiently. "I can schedule a meeting, if that is important to you. I thought arranged marriages were traditional in your country."

"Generally the children know each other, at least. And we do not force marriage upon them. They must agree, and I'm afraid Yuffie will not."

"Can't you control your own child?"

Godo took an irritated look at the photos before him. "_Obviously_ not."

"If your own daughter doesn't respect you, how do you to expect to be the figurehead of a country?"

Godo went pale. "Sir, I-"

"But I understand, my Rufus has been quite a handful himself. Children... they just need a firm hand. They need to learn that there are consequences. When my Turks located AVALANCHE they could have killed the lot of them then, but fortunately they recognized your daughter and held off the attack. Now I'm not suggesting that marrying my son is a form of punishment, but I would be inclined to be more lenient if she's cooperative."

"What happens if I say no?"

"Then her death will be broadcast on international television. The choice is yours."


	2. Chapter 1: Have I Got a Match for You

Chapter 1: Have I Got a Match for You

Tseng had said he had 'news.' Rufus hated the way he'd said it because it was vague enough to mean anything. It could be good news or it could be bad news. Certainly, it had to fall into one of those categories, so why couldn't Tseng have given him some hint, some indication of what it could be.

Rufus wasn't the sort to let himself hope. Better to expect the worst and be prepared. If you expected things to go wrong, things either went as expected or were pleasantly surprising, which seemed a much better way to live your life than hoping for best and constantly facing disappointment.

The knock came and Rufus called for Tseng to enter. He didn't like opening doors for others and beckoning them in. This was a professional meeting; he'd sit behind his desk and hear the news.

The leader of the Turks entered, followed by Reno. The latter didn't bother to approach the desk, but found a section of wall to slouch against, his arms crossed. Rufus looked at him. None of the Turks were easy to read, but in general Reno was easier to read than Tseng. Reno wasn't happy, or perhaps he knew whatever it was wouldn't make Rufus happy.

Reno's expression clearly said: _He's not gonna like this, yo._

Rufus fixed his gaze on Tseng. "I'm not getting out of here anytime soon, am I?" It wasn't really a question. Rufus knew the answer. His father might have freed him, but he wasn't going to let Rufus anywhere near his seat of power. Understandable, considering Rufus had tried to kill him.

He supposed he should be grateful he'd been released at all. His current exile in Junon was certainly better than the four years of confinement he'd spent courtesy of the Turks. But the fact remained that Rufus was still in many ways a prisoner. The cage had changed; this one was gilded and offered more relative freedom but Rufus was as powerless as ever.

Why couldn't things be simple? Why couldn't Tseng be here to tell him his father had been killed, preferably in some gory and embarrassing manner? Struck down by one of his own soldiers turned rogue? Perhaps struck down in his own office while Palmer cowered in the corner? Yes, that would have been nice.

Unfortunately, there hadn't been any notable defections since the Nibelheim incident and Sephiroth was long dead. The remains of Jenova had been destroyed, impossible to recover. So that chapter was closed.

Well there was that Strife person. He claimed to be a Soldier first class and from all reports had the eyes and strength of a SOLDIER. Shin-Ra had actually managed to capture them in December, but they'd escaped and fought their way out.

It was January now, and from every report he'd read things had been quiet. So there was little reason to hope his father had suffered a sudden and humiliating demise.

"Actually," said Tseng. "I have some good news. Your father is making a political arrangement with Wutai and he needs your help. In exchange for your cooperation in this matter he'll allow you to return to Midgar."

"Political arrangement?"

"Your dad wants you to marry the princess of Wutai," said Reno.

"What?" asked Rufus. He realized his shock was evident, and while ordinarily Rufus prided himself on being impossible to read at the moment he couldn't bring himself to care.

"She was seen working alongside anti-Shin-Ra terrorists," said Tseng.

"Anti-Shin-Ra forces? Was it Strife's group?" Rufus refused to call them AVALANCHE. They weren't AVALANCHE; they were a copy-cat organization inspired by group's first incarnation and not nearly as much of a threat. Really, his father should have squashed them by now. "Funny, I didn't see her with them when we met."

Tseng sent him a look. He was still angry about that business down at the docks. Rufus shouldn't have been out unguarded. _You could have been killed! Do you have any idea-_

Rufus tried to push the thought away. He didn't want to think about the anger that had blazed in Tseng's eye when he had confronted Rufus about it or the disappointment that had chilled his gaze once Tseng anger had cooled. How could you have been so reckless?

It had been an accident, really; AVALANCHE had been trying to sneak aboard a boat in Junon and they'd stumbled across Rufus while running from some troopers. Coming to Junon had been brazen on their part. As if they could waltz through a military base and sneak on a ship... The only way such a plan had a remote chance of being successful would be if everyone in Junon were somehow distracted by a flashy diversion.

When the group ran into him, Rufus had tried to stall them until the troopers caught up with them.

_You risked your life._

The memory of Tseng's reprimand was still running through Rufus's head, and perhaps through Tseng's, too; Rufus saw that his mouth had formed a hard line.

"You know," said Rufus, pushing his hair back, "it wasn't as if I set out to meet them. If I'd run I doubt they'd have just let me go. If I'm going to be shot, I'd rather it not be in the back." At the time Rufus had thought that if he kept them engaged until reinforcements arrived they could bag the lot. What great news to tell his father, AVALANCHE captured on his watch thanks in large part to Rufus himself.

Instead, reinforcements had arrived just in time to spare Rufus a gruesome death. One group covered Rufus, leading him away to safety, while another tried to apprehend AVALANCHE. Everyone who'd faced them had fallen, some grievously injured, others killed.

Tseng sighed and turned away. It seemed Tseng didn't want to have this argument again any more then Rufus. Rufus was sure there was plenty Tseng _could_ say; their previous conversation on this topic had been interrupted by a phone call from the vet. After the bad news concerning Dark Nation, comforting Rufus had taken priority. Tseng had always been there to comfort him, to support him, but not now, apparently. Tseng didn't seem upset about the news Reno had given them. Until the moment Rufus mentioned his little run-in with AVALANCHE Tseng had seemed calm as anything.

"Executing the heir to throne of Wutai could inspire unrest, so your father-"

"Intends to solve the problem by marrying her off to me. The heir to Shinra and the heir to Wutai, our lands forever united. And a big showy wedding to distract the people from his incompetence."

Reno smirked at Rufus's assessment. Rufus was always quick on the uptake, if not a step ahead. It was something a Turk could admire. "That's our boss," said Reno, "you got the whole plan down."

"Yes, and what's our plan for getting me out of this?" asked Rufus. He looked at Tseng, locking eyes with the Turk leader. "If you think I'm going along with this..." He got to his feet and began to pace.

"I think it would be in your best interest if you did," said Tseng, "I've given it a great deal of thought since I was informed."

"Have you?" asked Rufus, sarcasm dripping from his words like venom from a zolom's fangs. "And your solution is to just agree? Couldn't we arrange an unfortunate accident or something?"

Their eyes met and Rufus thought he caught a hint of a smile at his joke. "Oh yes, from what I've read the princess was always fond of sneaking out her bedroom window, I'm sure she's an accident just waiting to happen. I'll admit the thought may have crossed my mind, but joking aside, you know it's the best course of action." Tseng moved closer to Rufus, and put a hand on his shoulder. "You know I only want what's best for you."

"And marrying a total stranger is what's best for me?" asked Rufus.

"It's what's advantageous, and you know well enough that-"

"I must do what's pragmatic. That what I want doesn't matter. Has never mattered! Not to anyone, not even you! And here I thought you were on my side."

"I am," said Tseng. "Rufus, you haven't even met her yet. Who knows, you might get along. From what I've gleaned from her file and my observations you could be a great match. She's young, energetic, bright, optimistic - if a little naive, but that could be useful - at the same she's spirited, she won't be passive but I think you need someone willing to stand up to you sometimes. Better than most of the socialites you've dated, at least."

"I didn't want to marry any of them either," said Rufus. "Even if I do like her, she couldn't give me what -"

"She could give you children."

"She is a child!" snapped Rufus.

"She's sixteen, and she'll agree to the marriage," said Tseng. "That's all the matters to your father. If you agree to marry her, you'll be granted more power in Shin-Ra. You want that, don't you?"

"I need that," said Rufus, "we all do. Someone has to check his stupidity and Reeve's too spineless to do anything useful. Still, this plan won't be as easy as my father thinks. Wutai hates Shin-Ra, and this marriage won't change that. And as much as I want power, I'd like to get it on my own terms. What good is power if you can't have what you want?"

"You're being childish, Rufus."

"Oh good, all the better to get along with my bride. Now tell me, why did my father send you two instead of coming here himself," asked Rufus. "Surely you have more important things to be doing."

"He's meeting with Godo," said Tseng. "He wants to ensure this arrangement is made civilly, so going to Wutai in person was only appropriate. Reno and Elena are being dispatched to pick up Yuffie as soon as Godo signs the contract."

"By pick up, you mean kidnap, I take it?" asked Rufus, "And kill the terrorists while you're at it."

"We'll do our best," said Reno, "but we can't risk hurting the Princess. And she's only with half of them, Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa are in a separate group. Hopefully after we nab Yuffie we can follow Bugenhagen's dog and the terrorist leader to the others. Rude will be on that while Elena and I bring her to Wutai so her father can tell her the good news."

"And you're here now to give me my 'good news'." Rufus took this to mean that his opinion on the matter meant so little to his father that he couldn't be bothered to come in person. Not that he expected to be visited. In the four years he'd been locked away his father hadn't so much as contacted him. Shinra Senior had only remembered Rufus's existence when he began to suspect the Turks of treason. Then Rufus suddenly mattered because the President didn't want a hostage situation. Rufus thought the likeliest explanation for his father's sudden and unusual concern was fear at the prospect of the Turks taking something of his away. Losing anything hurt the old man's ego, and losing his only son and heir would have been too embarrassing a loss to stand.

Not that Rufus had ever been in any real danger; they were Rufus's Turks. It had been Rufus who had argued to save them when his father was bent on their destruction, and it was Rufus, as much as Shinra, whom they served.

"After all my father's talk of how progressive and forward thinking Shin-Ra would make the world, he's off arranging a marriage contract like this is some medieval soap opera?" asked Rufus. "And if I do refuse?"

"Rufus Shinra refuse a chance at power?" asked Reno. "You gotta be kiddin' me. Come on, you know you hate it here."

Tseng sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry to have to remind you of this, but your future is entirely in your father's hands. Should you refuse he could make your exile indefinite or disinherit you."

"He didn't disinherit me after I tried to destroy Shin-Ra and have him killed, does he really think I'd take any of his threats seriously now? I'm the only heir he has. He wants Shin-Ra to stay in the family, or else he'd have had me executed after Corel."

"You're lucky he didn't. Anyone one else would have been killed!" snapped Reno. "The President still ain't happy with you and he don't trust any of us. Way I see it he's making us all jump through hoops to test us, hoping we'll give him an excuse to kill all of us."

Rufus sighed and spun his chair to face away. "I have no doubt Sector 7 and the capture of the Ancient were ordered in part to provoke a mutiny. You both performed admirably, and I commend you for carrying out your orders. However, I –" Rufus fell silent. What could he say that wouldn't sound childish? _I'm more important than you. I don't want to, so there! _They'd made sacrifices and now it was his turn and he balking at it. He was so sick of everything, of all of them being forced to go along with plans that were the horrible and idiotic besides. "This is ridiculous."

"I thought you said you understood his reasons, yo?" asked Reno. "Solves a problem, not just for him, but for Shin-Ra."

"Publicly executing her and any who rise up in protest as a result would also solve the problem," said Rufus. "Wutai belongs to Shin-Ra, the war's over and they lost. Shin-Ra should send a message about what happens to those who cross us. Even their princess is not exempt. If she can be killed, none of them are safe; fear would keep the peace. Hell, if my father wants to be old fashioned, I'd say mount their heads on pikes. Then we could be thoroughly backwards."

"You know, Boss," said Reno, "sometimes I can't tell if you're being serious or not."

"That was sarcasm, Reno."

"Oh good! For a minute I thought you actually wanted to kill her. Talk about a bad basis for a marriage, yo."

Rufus groaned and pushed his hair back. "I meant about the beheadings. I'd be perfectly fine with her dead. Why reward a dissident with marriage to one of the most powerful men of the planet? Because my father's too lazy to keep the people in check? Shin-Ra has razed villages to the ground, we can crush any resistance, but my father refuses to send a message. He prefers cover ups and spectacle, a big royal wedding to waste money and keep the people distracted."

"You realize executing their Princess, who is little more than a child, could lead to insurgency?" said Tseng, "The Wutai war lasted for years. Do you really want another long drawn out conflict?"

"Oh. now you care what I want?" Rufus laughed again. "Don't worry, I understand what I need to do. I'll find a way to put the girl to use. My father will get his wedding, Wutai will get a future heir with Shinra blood, and the girl will get to bed a man she hates for the rest of her life. Isn't it a perfect fairy tale."

Rufus was done arguing. No point, really; his only choice was to go along with this fatuous little scheme. Well, if he was anything, he was a good actor. He would be the perfect suitor to the princess. He would be polite and play the role of dutiful son and husband. Focus on making it through the wedding. He couldn't stand the thought of what would come after that, so he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. Surviving the living hell that would be the wedding of the century would give him more than enough to deal with for the time being. Then of course, there was a matter of his father using him as a pawn in his game. Rufus was no pawn. He was a player in this game, and somehow he'd win, even if it meant sacrifices.


	3. The Way We Planned

Chapter 2: The Way We Planned

Yuffie nuzzled closer to the warm squishy pillow. The soft breathing vaguely surprised her, drawing her attention to the fact that she was resting on a person. She snuggled closer. After sleeping for so many years on the forest floor, and then being in a considerably more comfortable situation with AVALANCHE, she had grown to appreciate human pillows. "Tifa..."

"Please get off of me."

Finally, the young ninja's eyes blinked open. That was not at all the sound of Tifa's voice. In fact, now that she had woken up a bit, the blaring sound of a helicopter propeller, and the uncomfortable feeling of restraints on her wrists served as an immediate reminder of where she was, and what had happened. The Turks! She jolted back up in her seat. They had gotten the jump on her, along with Barret and Red. The others must have managed to escape, but _of course_ the Turks recognized her as royalty. Now here they were, touching down just outside of Wutai. Good thing, too. Thirty seconds awake, and she could already feel the nausea setting in.

"You got drool on my suit!" Elena complained loudly. She heaved a sigh, and moved over to unbuckle Yuffie.

Reno removed his headset and looked back at her. "You _do _realize this job entails dirtier things than that." He halted, and moved a finger to his lips in thought. "Wait! I mean that in a non-sexual way." Elena stopped what she was doing, to give him a look, before continuing to wrangle Yuffie out of the helicopter.

Reno followed. "Don't gimme that face. You're like the only chick here now, and not only are all your co-workers men, we also outrank you. I just want to be clear, I ain't creating no hostile work environment." He slammed the doors shut, and they began to make their way toward town. This proved to be an awkward and difficult task for Yuffie, who felt quite hazy and unstable. "Man, I miss having an equal gender ratio. Well then again, you probably wouldn't have come to work for us if your sister was in management or-

"You drugged me!" Both Turks turned to look at Yuffie, who had stopped walking.

Reno shoved his hands in his pockets, and took a few steps toward her. He gave her what appeared to be an attempt at a friendly smile. "It was just a sedative. You were throwing a fit about motion sickness, and I didn't want you ralphing in my chopper."

Yuffie frowned, but put them both at ease as she continued to walk.

After a pause, Elena spoke again. "I knew it wasn't sexual."

"I was just trying to make the point that I respect you as a fellow employee." Reno nodded to himself, feeling quite pleased for the moment. As an afterthought, he added "-and if I say, quit being such a girl, I don't mean it in a sexist way."

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "That _is _sexist."

"Yeah," Elena agreed. The two women eyed each other.

The younger one continued. "Not that I... I don't care what you say about her, or how you... _I don't like you people!_" She made a move to cross her arms, only to be reminded by a sharp tug that her hands were bound. "And you know, you coulda just given me a pill, like a normal person."

Reno quirked a brow at her, smirking a little in amusement. "You would've just taken a pill from someone like me?"

Elena cocked her head to the side for a moment, and squinted in thought. "Is that sexual?"

"No!" Shouted Reno and Yuffie in unison. Reno looked disgusted, and Yuffie just looked annoyed. Upon the realization that they had shared the response, they exchanged a disturbed look.

Reno turned to fully face the ninja, hunching to look her straight in the eye. "You. There's no need to get so upset about being drugged. I've _already kidnapped you._ I don't _need_ to drug you. And you." Elena looked at him. "Nothing between her and me would ever _be_ sexual, because I like _tits._" With that, he made large, round gestures at his chest with his hands.

"Hey!" Yuffie snapped.

Elena's mouth flattened into a line, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Annnd that is definitely sexual harassment."

He matched her look. "Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"The side of a comfortable work environment."

Reno sighed, and looked at her. "But I wasn't talking about your boobs. I think you have great tits! Wait! I didn't mean it like-" he groaned, "can we _please_ get on with our assignment?"

Elena pushed Yuffie onward. "I don't see why we have to take time out of our mission to babysit this brat."

"Cool it, Elena. The President himself issued this order."

"If he wants her to marry the VP so bad, he could have just kept her in Midgar and-"

Reno practically jumped at her words, trying, and failing to cut her off in time. Elena's eyes widened, as she realized just what she had just let slip. They both slowly turned to look at Yuffie.

She stood there, frozen, with a look of horror plastered across her face, and her eyes wider than both of theirs combined. In an instant, she was running in the opposite direction. Reno ran after her, and in one swift motion, withdrew his rod and issued a shock.

* * *

"That was totally unnecessary!"

Reno gripped Yuffie by her collar as she struggled. Her eyes flashed around to the citizens of Wutai, who mostly appeared either concerned, curious, or a mix of the two. Some homecoming this had turned out to be.

"I might agree. She _is_ a princess." Elena added.

Reno shot Elena a warning look, before shifting his focus to the antsy teen. "Princess or not, you're a terrorist, and you ran. I'm just doing my job, kid."

They hooked a left, and headed toward the pagoda. Yuffie had been eying it with dread ever since they had hit town. She looked away, trying to distract herself from her impending doom, when she noticed a boy around her age, charging them. "Let her go!"

Her eyebrows rose in recognition of her old friend. "Yuri!" She saw the way he was moving, readying for an attack as he drew closer. Yuffie's gaze flashed to Elena, immediately noticing the blond woman's hand move to her handgun. "STOP!" Both Turks stared, and Yuri lost his footing, causing him to skid to a halt, finally falling over at her feet. He gave her the most pathetic and helpless look, without a trace of embarrassment over his clumsiness. But then, he'd always been a bit on the clumsy side. "Yuri," she said firmly. "Remember our promise."

He looked at her sadly for a moment, and then averted his gaze as he stood, brushing the dirt from his clothes. He began to walk away, giving her a forlorn glance over his shoulder.

Reno urged her onward, and the trio continued.

Unable to help herself, Elena asked, "What promise?"

Yuffie looked at the ground in front of her, keeping her eyes off of the only kid in town who would give her the time of day. She smirked. "What, you think I would tell a Turkey like you?"

* * *

"How could you be so reckless? Do you have any idea of the danger you have put this country in?"

Yuffie knelt at her father's feet, eyes focused on her balled fists in her lap.

"Shin-Ra has had us under its heel for years. You _must_ be able to imagine the President's reaction to your... consorting with a terrorist organization."

Yuffie scoffed. "I wouldn't call it an 'organization'. More like a _dis_organization. One of them is a dog! Cat! Thing! And he talks!"

Godo turned and slammed a fist down on his desk, causing her to jump. "Silence. I will have no more of your lies." Before she could begin to tell him of Nanaki, Godo continued. "The President has offered two solutions to keep you out of trouble. He has been generous enough to leave the decision to you." He turned and looked her in the eye. "You will marry the President's son, or face public execution."

Yuffie knew the first half of that already, but execution? Not house-arrest, or something a little less barbaric? Still though, the President's son! Neither option sounded desirable to her in the least. "… Can I have a day to think about it?"

Godo looked at her incredulously. "Do you think this some kind of a joke? You have put yourself – your _home_ at risk!"

She began to wave him off as soon as he had begun to raise his voice. "All right, all right. Jeez!" Yuffie discreetly looked around, making sure the Turks were not in the room. When she was sure it was clear, she leaned toward her father, her tone low. "So what's the plan? Should I make my escape tonight?"

"I want you to do the mature thing, and go through with the wedding."

She blanched. "And infiltrate Shin-Ra?"

"-and try to make the marriage work."

Yuffie shot to her feet, losing all interest in keeping her voice down. "Have you lost your mind?!"

"You must realize-"

Her eyebrows rose, and her nostrils flared. "_You_ must realize that I am _not_ a piece of land, or a chocobo to be traded!"

"Yuffie, I-"

"I can't believe you would _sell_ me to our enemy, for the sake of some comfort." She paced back and forth in deep frustration, resisting the urge to simply take a swing at the old man then and there.

Godo straightened, finally shouting back. "Yuffie! Sit! Down!"

"Or what? What are you going to do? Beat me? Ground me? I really don't think it could get much worse than _selling me off_."

He moved his hand to his forehead. The two of them had always seemed to have difficulty understanding each other, and staying on the same page. She could tell this was one of these times. "You won't be his concubine, you will be his wife. That means you will be treated with respect."

Yuffie snorted loudly. Her father truly must have lost it. "Right, dad. Because they just _love_ us Wutaians, over in Midgar."

"Wutaian or not, you will be _their_ princess."

Her voice rose so much that she was positive now that the Turks could hear her, even if they were waiting on the bottom level of the pagoda. "I NEVER WANTED TO BE PRINCESS OF ANYTHING!"

"But you _are_. And you must rise to the responsibility that that entails. Yuffie," For a moment, she didn't understand what he was doing, as he took her hands. It dawned on her that this was his attempt at calming her. "I'm not doing this as a punishment. You're my daughter. My blood. I _can't_ lose you.

She stared at him for a long time, holding back all of the expletives that threatened to spill out. Instead, she responded in her usual manner. "… Can I _please_ have a day to think about it?"

"Yuffie!"

* * *

Her room was just how she'd left it, but cleaned up a bit. Granted, last time she'd seen it, she was twelve, and she had grown up considerably since then. The decoration was sparse to begin with, and what was there made her both sullen, and nostalgic.

A large poster of Anton the Samurai, her childhood crush from her favorite TV show, hung above her bed; a plush moogle sat on top of a very bare bookshelf, and most embarrassing, she had padded training equipment hanging on her walls, as though it was something to be proud of. This was her room, but it didn't feel like hers. It felt like it belonged to someone she knew very well.

She wanted to flee. She wanted to pack what little she might need, sneak out the window, and never come back to this place that served as a supposed "home" ever again, but of course due to her situation, they had Turks posted at her door, along with her father's subordinates at the other entrances.

Yuffie flopped down onto her bed, laying on her stomach. She pulled her pillow to her face, and screamed in frustration. Engaged to a Shinra was the last place she wanted to be at sixteen, eighteen, or any other age. Considering this, she was horrified to realize that once she was eighteen, she would be either dead, or married to a slimeball.

Yuffie felt something cushy hit the back of her head, and roll off to the side. She looked up from the pillow to see a dumpling on the bed beside her. Curiously, Yuffie sat up and grabbed it. After a quick scan of the room, it finally occurred to her to look up. Her eyes met those of her friend, peeking through a trap-door in the ceiling. "Yuri!" she whispered excitedly. It had been so long, that she had forgotten all about the door to the roof.

Yuri brought a finger to his mouth, hushing her. He reached down, offering her a hand. Yuffie hopped onto her nightstand, and grabbed hold, quickly being hoisted up through the door. The second they were both on the roof, he pulled her into a tight hug. The last time he'd hugged her like this was the day she left town. He was barely an inch taller than her back then, and skinny, like she was. Now he was almost a head taller, and his shoulders had gotten a lot broader. His dark hair, which had grown a bit, was pulled back into a low ponytail. He released her, a smile on his face. "I really missed you, Yufe. Oh!" He picked up scarf, which had something wrapped up inside, and handed it to her. She untied the knot and peeked inside. More dumplings.

"What's this for?"

Yuri smiled and scratched his nose. "I figured you hadn't eaten. You tend to forget meals when you're upset. They're my mom's plum dumplings. You always liked them, back when we were kids."

He was absolutely right. Now that he mentioned it, she began to realize just how hungry she was. She picked one out and took a bite. It was warm and sweet, but not enough so to upset her stomach. "Thanks." She continued to snack on them. "So how'd you get up here? I thought they had this place locked down real good."

"Well, for starters, I'm not a princess, so no one is paying much attention to me." She gave him a skeptical look. "Also, I'm not an idiot, so I waited until no one was looking." Yuri reached for a plum dumpling, but Yuffie swatted at his hand, pulling the bundle closer. "So what happened? Those were Turks earlier, right?"

Yuffie sighed and leaned back against the slanted roof. "Yeah. I'm kind of in trouble." He straightened at this. She recognized his posture as the same as earlier, when he had rushed the Turks. "Not that kind of trouble. At least..." she hesitated. Telling him would feel like accepting the reality of her situation. But then again, he was her friend. "-not if I agree to marry Rufus Shinra," she finished.

"What?!"

She absently chewed on the corner of her thumbnail. "Yeah... I'm in a real pickle this time."

Yuri's eyes were wide. "Well that's putting it a bit lightly, don't you think?!"

"He's not just the heir of ShinRa. He's a monster." She stared hard at the horizon, deep in thought.

"You've met him?"

"No, but Barret told me all about him."

"Who's that?"

She made a wide gesture. "He's this huuuge black guy, with an arm for a gun!"

"What?"

"I mean a gun for an arm."

"_What?_"

"Never mind that. Barret met Rufus once, back in Junon."

He scooted closer. "What did he say about him? What kind of person is he?"

Yuffie looked at Yuri for a second, and then at her hands. "They were in Junon, trying to get on a ship. Soldiers surrounded them, and Rufus Shinra happened by. He introduced himself, and I guess they talked for a few minutes." Her hands slowly balled into nervous fists, as she spoke. "Barret told me that Shinra said once he's in charge, he's going to rule through fear, and that spending money on civilians is a waste." She turned to look at her friend. "Rule through fear. What kind of sociopath openly admits that _that's_ his plan." She made a frustrated noise and looked forward again. "That, and the whole thing where he supposedly never bleeds or cries."

Yuri snorted, and she looked at him like he was insane. "Never bleeds or cries, huh? I bet you'd fix that."

She relaxed a bit, and even smiled. "I guess we'll see. It's just...the kind of person who would choose to rule by fear, that's the kind of person who likes seeing people afraid of him, who maybe likes to hurt people. What if he..." She trailed off and looked down, not wanting to affirm her worries. Saying it out loud was like admitting that it was a valid concern, and she just couldn't do that. She would kick and scream and argue and fight until she got out of this entire situation. "I can't marry him. I can't."

Yuri reached over and touched her hand. "I remember our promise, but... I swear, I won't let anything bad happen to you. I'll find a way to get you out of this." She gave him a tight grin, and he returned it. After a short silence, he nudged her. "Remember last time we were up here? The night before you left?"

She smiled and punched him in the arm. "Of course I do."

* * *

They were only twelve years old back then, and Yuffie was all packed to leave. No matter what her relationship was with the rest of Wutai, she knew she could never leave without saying goodbye to her only friend, so she sat on her roof, and waited.

Finally, Yuri clambered up. She rolled her eyes. It was shameful for someone in this city to be so lacking in agility. Despite that, she was glad he came.

The sky was clear, and the moon was barely a sliver. It was so dark that they could see all the constellations that they had been made to learn about during their short lives. Vera the faithful, Fyodor, the great warrior of their stories, who met Leviathan himself... She wondered in silence if they would look the same from other parts of the world.

"I heard you're leaving tomorrow."

"Yyyup."

"I'll miss you-"

"Oh can it, Yuri. I called you up here for a reason."

He quieted, and looked at her curiously.

"I'm going to be on my own for a while, so I'm probably gonna become a great ninja. Training in the mornings, and evenings... I'll be the best. So..." She raised her chin in pride. "If you're ever in trouble, your ninja will come rescue you. I want to do that just once. Or multiple times. However often you need it." Yuffie turned to face him, and smirked. "Just call, and I'll come running."

"Can I rescue you?"

The question caught her off guard. She had never considered the idea that she might need saving at some point. It was a preposterous thought, really. "I am the Great Ninja Yuffie! Why would I ever need rescuing? I'm a born fighter, hello-"

"I know! It's just," Yuri looked down, embarrassed for even suggesting it, "you want to come to my rescue, and I want to return the favor." He tried to hide his face, but even in the dark, Yuffie could still tell he was blushing.

"Yuri, it would be too dangerous! You'd just get hurt, or end up dead."

"D-dead?"

She grinned menacingly. Yuffie had always gotten a kick of how easy it was to scare him. "Yeah, that's right. Dead. So promise me. Promise me that you will never ever ever try to save me from anyone."

He looked down, dejected. "I promise."

"No, repeat what I said."

Yuri sighed. "I promise to never ever-" he looked at her, and she urged him on with a look, "... ever... try to save you. From anyone."

She nodded. "Good. So how about instead of that, we get married when we're grown-ups, and I can boss you around legally."

His eyes had gone wide, like saucers. "Married?"

"Yeah, I mean, you're the only one who can put up with me."

His mouth slowly turned into a grin, as he considered the possibility. "Okay. I could do that."

Yuffie leaned in a little. "Should we... should we kiss?"

Yuri nodded. They slowly drew nearer, when-

"You kids get down from there! That's dangerous! Don't make me tell your parents!"

* * *

Yuffie grinned, sitting on the same roof with her "fiance" four years later. "Wow! I remember Mrs. Ukko! Whatever happened to her?"

"She died."

Yuffie turned to look at him, surprised. "Really?"

Yuri raised an eyebrow. "She was like ninety when that happened."

Somehow, she had forgotten that. She had forgotten a lot since she'd been gone. "What happened to all her cats?"

At this, an amused smile crossed his face. He tried not to laugh. "She left her house to them in her will. The place is totally overrun with them now."

"Well, if I ever need to stash some materia, I know where to put it."

Yuri laughed out loud at this, and put an arm around her shoulder. "Of _course_ that is the first thing to occur to you." She blushed, suddenly acutely aware of how close they were. "Anyway, I'll come up with a plan to get you out of this... you know, if you'll let me try to rescue you, just this one time."

Yuffie gingerly took his hand, giving him a coy look, and removed it from her shoulder. Now he was blushing again, just like he did all those years ago. "How about _we _come up with a plan. You'd probably kinda screw it up, if you did it on your own."

The pinkness in his cheeks faded, and he frowned. "Very funny."

A look of focus returned to her eyes. "For now, I need to stall for time. I have to give my father an answer by morning." A little smile curled her lips. "Buuut weddings take a lot of time to plan. Especially if the bride wants everything to be _perfect. _You catch my drift?"


End file.
